


Exhibiting Mannerisms

by EternalSurvivor



Series: Naruto Rare Pairs [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, M/M, Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019, Naruto is a Clueless Moron, Prompt: Shikamaru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 15:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19748677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSurvivor/pseuds/EternalSurvivor
Summary: Shikamaru Nara wonders where his sudden hankering for ramen came from. When "Dattebayo" slips past his lips for the first time, it's not hard to figure out Naruto Uzumaki is his soulmate. What is hard to figure out is what to do with the information, especially with a soulmate as cluelessly moronic as Naruto.Or the Soulmate AU where two soulmates exhibit each other's mannerisms.





	Exhibiting Mannerisms

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm doing the Naruto Rare Pair Bingo from over on Tumblr. It just looks like so much fun! I chose Card B, which you can see below. I will mark off the prompts as I complete them. The competition lasts until the end of August. I am going to try to complete as many prompts as inspiration will allow. I hope you all enjoy this unexpected side-ride with me! Feedback is always loved and appreciated. 
> 
> There is a bit of dialogue from the Official English Dub of Naruto Shippuden in this, so disclaimer on that.
> 
> A big thank-you goes out to @kuramapaw on twitter for letting me use their beautiful artwork in this story. Please check [out their art](https://twitter.com/kuramapaw?lang=en) here.
> 
> The wonderful NathTE was my spell-checker for this story. Please check [out her stories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NathTE/pseuds/NathTE) here.
> 
> Naruto Rare Pair Bingo Prompt: Shikamaru

Naruto was twelve when Ero-sennin took him under his wing. The training was difficult, but Naruto knew the importance of hard work. Sasuke wouldn’t bring himself back to the village. That was his duty, his word to Sakura-chan. And Naruto Uzumaki never went back on his word. So he trained hard to get stronger, to bring Sasuke back, and to keep his word. That was his nindo, his ninja way.

Those bonds were more than he ever expected to have. Friends, people who cared for him. That was enough. That’s why Naruto never dwelled on the thought of soulmates, or who his other half could possibly be.

Who would want a demon anyway?

Naruto flopped to the ground with a groan. Everything hurt, right from his toes to the tips of his ears. Even his _eyelashes_ ached! The blonde squinted against the bright sunshine above, relaxing only once a few fluffy clouds floated across it.

Oh, that one looked like a kunai, cool.

“Giving up already?” Ero-sennin called from somewhere above and to the left. He was probably still perched on that same bolder, half-written manuscript sprawled across his legs. Naruto didn’t have the strength left to crane his head back and check.

“Gimme a break, I’ve been at it all morning, Ero-sennin! I’m hungry.” His stomach grumbled loudly on cue.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Jiraiya snarked in irritation. _Probably his new book giving in trouble again_ , Naruto reasoned. He always got snippy when his ‘creative juices’ didn’t flow. Not that he _really_ wanted to see any ‘juices’ flowing from Ero-sennin.

Naruto scrunched up his face, resisting the urge to puff out his cheeks. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud.”

Jiraiya scowled at the manuscript spread around him. “This will never do.” A sly grin slowly spread across his face, narrowed eyes shifting to his spent student. “What I need is to conduct more research.” The toad sage produced a worn, green coin purse from his supply pack.

The blonde jumped to his feet and lunged at his mentor on impulse. “No, Gama-chan! Give him back, Ero-sennin!” Jiraiya always squandered his hard-earned savings on booze and women!

“Ya snooze, ya lose kid!” The sanin disappeared in a puff of smoke that sent Naruto sprawling onto the grass in a heap.

“Aww man! What a drag!!”

* * *

Shikamaru was thirteen when he made a startling revelation.

“Hey, Shikamaru. Why don’t we try the menma ramen next time?” Chouji pulled open a bag of potato chips and bit into one as his best friend handed payment to Ayame. Shikamaru didn’t mind treating once in a while, not when it was Chouji.

The newly-minted chunin shoved his hands into his pockets and gave a noncommittal shrug. “Doesn’t matter to me what kind we eat.”

“You’ve wanted ramen a lot lately.” Another potato chip disappeared into the Akimichi’s mouth as Shikamaru fell into step beside him.

His shoulders slouched, head reclining to take in the clouds above. The sky was mostly clear, a brilliant blue with a few stray nimbus clouds floating by. “Sometimes I get a hankering that’s too troublesome to ignore.”

“I’ll come with you anytime you want to grab some Ichiraku’s, Shika.”

The chunin’s mouth tugged up at the corner into a lop-sided half smile and the lines around his eyes crinkled fondly. “Sure thing, Chouji.”

“There you two are!”

The pair stopped mid-stride at the shrill. Shikamaru’s slouch drew into a taut hunch. After training together all morning, dealing with the Yamanaka kunoichi was the last thing he wanted to do. Ino mixed with him and Chouji about as well as oil with water. They loved her dearly, but her overbearing, demanding tendencies often had them physically and emotionally withdraw from her. The road to Hell was paved with good intentions and Ino Yamanaka manned the helm.

“What’s up, Ino?” Ah, Chouji, always the kind, tactful delegate (at least until his weight was mentioned). Ino learned not to poke that sleeping bear after a few hard lessons. 

“You stood me up!” She thrust a finger at them, blonde brows dipping into a scowl. “How could you?”

Shikamaru shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and scowled. “We didn’t stand you up, Ino.” He drawled in irritation. “We never agreed to extra training. You just demanded it and assumed we would comply.”

“Don’t give me excuses, Shikamaru Nara.” Ino fired back in a tone that gave away her all too ready eagerness for an argument. “What else did you have to do? Go watch clouds? Stuff your face full of yakitori and Yakiniku Q again? We’re never going to advance as a team if you keep slacking off like this. You know Chouji will follow whatever decision you make. You’re pulling the whole team down with your lack of motivation. Asuma-sensei indulges you too much...”

Ino’s ‘ _motivational’_ lecture droned in his ear like an annoying fly. He’d mostly learned to block her out when she went on a tangent. Such a troublesome woman. Shikamaru’s head turned up to the sky with a sigh. Cumulonimbus clouds were starting to group and slowly settle a warm humidity over the Konoha. There’d be rain by nightfall-

“Are you listening to me, Shikamaru?!”

His attention reluctantly shifted from the clouds to his kunoichi teammate. She crossed her arms over her chest, the toe of her sandal tapping away impatiently on the ground, _tip, tip, tip, tip_.

Now Shikamaru Nara did his best to avoid complicated situations. It was a drag to put forth any unnecessary effort. But Chouji began to ground his potato chips on his back molars, a subtle sign Ino’s bloviate was stressing him out. There was nothing the chunin disliked more than his best friend being upset. Something about that tapping coupled with Chouji’s growing unrest rubbed him the wrong way. His scowl deepened and his exasperation flared into an uncharacteristically verbal snip. “Lay off’ttebayo!”

As soon as the word passed his lips, Shikamaru froze. Pieces lined up and clicked together in his mind like an easily laid out puzzle. “No way.” His feet moved of their own accord. The confused looks and concerned calls from his teammates went unheard. All he could think was: _No wonder I’ve been craving ramen!_

“This can’t be happening.”

Naruto Uzumaki was his soulmate.

What a drag. 

* * *

Naruto was fifteen when he returned home for the first time in almost three years.

“Hey Shikamaru, Temari, look what the cat dragged in.” Sakura’s beckoning had Naruto glancing over his shoulder.

When Granny Tsunade said she had an opponent for him to test his newly acquired skills against, he didn’t expect Shikamaru Nara to be the one to walk through the door. Nor did he expect the strange little flip his stomach did when Shikamaru’s brows dipped in thoughtful contemplation.”...Is that?” The smile seemed to light up Shikamaru’s face. Naruto pressed a hand over his fluttering belly. That extra spicy ramen for lunch was a _bad_ idea. “It is! Naruto, it’s you.”

“Hey, Shikamaru!”

“Well, well, you’re back huh?”

He turned, hands fitting behind his head to hide his fidgeting fingers. Why did talking to Shikamaru make him feel suddenly nervous? Yep. Extra spicy ramen was _definitely_ not a good idea. “Yeah, just got back today dattebayo.”

Shikamaru’s smile softened as he caught the edge of his orange jacket and gave a slight tug. “...You sure have changed.”

Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned. “So are you my opponent, Shika?”

“Opponent? What are you talking about? I’m just here to drop off some paperwork.”

“Oh, well if it’s not you then…” His opponent turned out to be Kakashi-sensei, who hadn’t changed at all. As soon as Naruto handed him the newest Icha Icha installment, he and Sakura found themselves with a scheduled match at the training grounds and some free time on their hands.

They walked through the western marketplace in pairs, Naruto and Sakura complaining about their perverted sensei in front, and Shikamaru with Temari silently bringing up the rear. It took little effort to notice the pair’s ease around each other. A lightbulb flicked on in the back of his mind. Naruto slunk back to the pair, a knowing grin spread across his face and a hand raised to block eavesdroppers from picking up the conversation. No need to embarrass his friend, even if he was curious. Shika deserved nothing but happiness, after all. “So, are you two going out or what?”

Shikamaru and Temari spared each other a glance, mutual surprise etched onto their faces. “He’s kidding, right?” Temari inclined her head towards the other blonde. “Weren’t you going to tell him?”

Shikamaru’s shoulders hunched and tensed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Naruto could see them fist through the thick shinobi-grade material. “We’re not dating, you clueless moron!!”

Naruto blinked, hands raised in defense against the sudden outburst. “Whaaa?” Since when did Shikamaru overreact like that? What a weird response. “Come on, Shika. Don’t be so troublesome.”

Shikamaru scowled and took a step back, like he was closing in on himself. He stared at Naruto, dark eyes fixed solely on his face, until the blonde began to squirm in discomfort. The look of utter awe on Sakura-chan’s face wasn’t helping the weird weight that settled in his stomach, like he swallowed a rock. Naruto was _never_ eating extra spicy ramen again.

“I’ve got stuff to deal with.” Shikamaru’s voice was oddly detached when he finally broke the tense silence. Without a backward glance, he brushed past Naruto and disappeared into the crowd.

Wait… What?

Something screamed in the back of his mind as he turned to stare at the place Shikamaru disappeared. He was missing something.

_Something important.  
_

Temari growled and smacked Naruto on the back of the head. “Get it together, you idiot, before it’s too late!”

“Ack! Too late for what?!” 

* * *

Shikamaru was sixteen when Konoha gets word of Jiraiya’s death.

He rapped on the door for a third time, hackles rising when still no response came. Naruto had to be home. Shikamaru already checked every other spot he frequented, not at Ichiraku Ramen, the Training Grounds, Yakiniku Q, or even that stupidly small swing out front of the Academy.

Troublesome _idiot.  
_

Shikamaru knocked again, head tilting slightly to listen at the door for movement inside. Damn. Where was he? The chunin took a step back and peered over the railing. _Come on, you’re a genius, think Shikamaru. Where would Naruto go at a time like this?_

His answer came in the form of a scuffle from above. Craning his head back, Shikamaru stared at the tiled roof of Naruto’s apartment building. Ah, so _that’s_ where he hid himself away. Balancing on the rail, Shikamaru leaped to the rooftop.

Shikamaru’s head shifted to the side in surprise as he took in the sight before him. Naruto lay flat on his back, arms stretched wide across the red tiles and eyes fixed on the white clouds rolling across a sky painted red, violet and blue from the setting sun. If there was any doubt to Naruto being his soulmate (there wasn’t, Shikamaru knew from that first ‘dattebayo’), this confirmed it. He nudged the blonde lightly with his foot.

Instead of leaping up, or shouting an overly loud greeting like the chunin expected, Naruto just pulled his legs up to make room for the new arrival. With a shrug, the Nara dropped down to sit at his friend’s side. Resting his arm on a drawn up knee, Shikamaru lit up a cigarette and waited.

The news of Jiraiya’s death was unexpected. Coming from a red-eyed Godaime Hokage made it an even harder pill to swallow. Now, his last message fell into Shikamaru’s hands to decipher. He and the Konoha Cryptanalysis Team were hitting dead ends with everything they tried. Seeking out Naruto, on the off chance he could shed some light on something they missed, was getting desperate, especially with grief clouding a mind not known for picking up subtleties.

“You know…” The blonde began slowly, eyes still transfixed on the sky above. “I started watching the clouds like this while training with Ero-sennin. It always makes me feel at peace, dattebayo.” Naruto scrubbed an arm across his eyes and sat up. Shikamaru was very glad he didn’t try to force a smile. Seeing his soulmate so distraught made his chest ache enough. “Did you need something, Shika?”

The coded picture suddenly felt very heavy in his breast pocket. “It can wait a while.” With a sigh, Shikamaru shifted closer and leaned in so their shoulders pressed together.

Naruto stiffened at first, then flopped his entire weight against his friend’s side. “...This isn’t a drag?”

“You could never be a drag to me, Naruto.”

His soulmate’s face scrunched up in confusion for a minute before relaxing again. A few tears trickled down his cheeks. “Thanks, Shika.”

“Any time.”

At least, Shikamaru wished _any time._

But, time was never on their side.

Missions and training took them both out of the village for extended periods that seemed to blur one into the next. They always seemed to miss each other, by days, sometimes hours. Shikamaru pushed the disappointment down and did his job as a shinobi. He served Konoha and his Hokage. He led teams, trained with Ino and Chouji, and assisted his father with clan business. The older he grew, the more clan related responsibilities Shikaku left to him.

What a drag.

Then, Akatsuki attacked Konoha and the village was destroyed. Naruto swooped down like an avenging angel, bled into a demon and emerged a hero right before the chunin’s eyes. The citizens of Konohagakure were left with a crater where their lives used to be and Shikamaru found himself at the apex of the restoration.

Rebuilding an entire hidden village from the ground up took months of endless work until the exhaustion was bone deep and all-consuming. Shikamaru collapsed after each sunset and willed sleep to come. Some nights it did, others he was left to his own machinations. It was during those nights he settled on and reinforced several effectuations. One, he held genuine affection for Naruto beyond the bond of a soulmate. It most likely stemmed from that rooftop conversation after Jiraiya’s death. Two, he couldn’t tell him. Not just because Naruto was a dense moron, but because it would be unfair to put that additional pressure on the blonde’s shoulders. Shikamaru refused to be an obligation. Three, he would continue to stand by Naruto in any capacity he could. Because Naruto always went above and beyond for his precious people. Naruto never held back, never compromised.

Shikamaru pulled the pillow close and buried his face in it. _He makes me want to support him. I love you, Naruto, you troublesome fool.  
_

After many trials and tribulations, the reconstructed Konohagakure began to feel like a village again.

A village, but not yet home.

* * *

  
  
Shikamaru was seventeen when war was declared on the world. 

Every Konoha shinobi over the age of fourteen walked away from the vestiges of their struggling haven. Shikamaru donned his flak jacket and a hitai-ate with _shinobi_ scrawled where a swirling leaf should be and marched into battle with friend and former foe at his side.

All to protect Naruto.

When he lay dying on a bloody, corpse-filled battlefield in Chouji’s arms, his mind wandered back to the nighttime ponderings of months long gone by. Naruto was still out there fighting, still sticking his neck out and refusing to give up. His stubborn, troublesome idiot was always like that. Ever since they were kids, Naruto persevered through the pain and isolation with nothing but his zealous dreams and delusions of grandeur.

_I never want the one I love to go through that again.  
_

Sakura yelled at him to stop talking. Had he said that aloud?

Shikamaru grinned.

Sakura told him to save his strength.

Shikamaru sat up.

Sakura pleaded with him to rest. “Why are you being so stubborn about this? I’m telling you to be lazy, damn it!”

“Must be my soulmate’s influence.”

* * *

Naruto was nineteen when he met Shikamaru leaving on a mission.

Early morning light peaked above the surrounding buildings, cloaking the new Nara Clan head in a shadowy light. He raised a hand in greeting, stomach twisting in concern at the troubled look on the jounin’s face. “Hey, Shika!” Between Naruto’s diplomatic missions and his friend’s duties as the Rokudaime Hokage’s assistant, they barely saw each other anymore. “You’re up awfully early, dattebayo.”

“Naruto, I could say the same about you.”

“I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.” The blonde ran a sheepish hand through his hair. “I’m just on my way home from Ichiraku Ramen.”

Shikamaru’s head tilted to the side in consideration. “They’re open this early? Who eats ramen for breakfast?”

“I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!” Naruto’s hands went to his hips and he leaned forward slightly to emphasize the importance of his declaration. “I bet half my body’s made of ramen by now.”

Shikamaru stared at him for a moment, then chuckled lightly. The soft smile that curled at the corners of his mouth set Naruto at ease. Good, he didn’t like seeing his friend so perturbed. _Troublesome man, he always did look good when he smiled.  
_

Shikamaru shook his head. “I’ll see you around.” Their shoulders brushed lightly when he walked past.

“Is it work?” The question was out before Naruto’s mouth caught up to his brain. How many times was he teased about that in the past?

“Yeah, a mission.” The jounin stopped and spared the blonde a glance over his shoulder. “Don’t just slack off eating ramen while I’m gone.”

“Hey, even heroes are allowed a break, Shika!” This lecture was repeated a bit too much over the last few years. Since the war, Shikamaru was always on his case about productivity. What happened to the lazy friend who spent hours watching clouds? They’d done that together a few times, it was fun. “Someone always comes along with one troublesome mission for me or another. I’ve worked for the last six months straight.” 

Naruto caught Shikamaru’s eyes soften before he turned around, gaze fixed on the rising sun. Or maybe it was the few fluffy nimbus clouds floating through the brightening sky? It was hard to tell from behind him. “Everybody recognizes your abilities now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll approve promoting you just because you’re a war hero.”

“I’ll keep working hard Shika! Don’t you worry. I don’t go back on my word. That’s my nindo.”

“Our nindo, Naruto. You’ll become Hokage and I’ll be your advisor, dattebayo.”

The blonde stared at Shikamaru’s back in confusion. “...Datte...bayo…?” His friend’s shoulder stiffened, hands clenched into fists at his sides and back ramrod straight. That was _his_ verbal tic! Why would Shikamaru be using that? Only his soulmate should be-

Naruto felt like he was hit with a bucket of freezing cold water. “H-Hey Shika…?” Uncertainty made him trail off. _No way was Shikamaru his soulmate_. “How long have you been doing that?”

A pregnant pause settled between them before Shikamaru responded. The silence almost drove Naruto crazy. “As long as you’ve been watching clouds.”

Naruto’s face paled, his mouth opened and closed several times. He scratched his head, wracking his brain for exactly how long that was. About seven years, since he started training with Ero-sennin. “You’ve known for that long?”

The newly promoted jounin just nodded, his ponytail bobbing with the motion.

An ache throbbed in the jinchuriki’s chest. He frowned and rubbed a hand over the spot. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Maybe he should be angry, but this was Shikamaru. How could he get upset with him?

“Because it doesn’t matter.”

That was not the response he’d been expecting. “Of course it matters!” Naruto could tell his voice was rising, but he couldn’t seem to reign it in. “You’re my _soulmate-_!”

“I’ll support you anyway I can.” Shikamaru cut him off with a surprisingly calm, even tone. “You have my word, I won’t go back on that.” His head lowered a bit as he started to walk again. “I’ve got to go.”

Naruto stared slack-jawed at the Nara’s back. How could he be so calm about this?! Everyone dreamed of finding their other half, of being whole. Panic slammed into him when he realized Shikamaru was going to leap to the rooftops. He’d be gone and Shodai knew when they’d run into each other again. “Shika, wait!” Naruto lunged on impulse and grabbed his friend from behind. His arms locked tightly around Shikamaru’s chest, his hands digging into the heavy, woolen travel cloak. Naruto pressed his face into Shikamaru’s shoulder, ignoring the sharp inhale from his friend. “What if I want you to support me like this too?”

Naruto felt the full-body shudder when it ran through his soulmate. Shikamaru slouched a bit and squeezed his arm just above the wrist. “...Took you long enough, Moron.”

“I know, I know, I’m a drag.”

Shikamaru leaned back into Naruto’s arms with a sigh. “I told you before, you’ll never be a drag to me.”

“I’m holding you to that, Shika!” Before his soulmate could protest, Naruto smooshed their mouths together in an overzealous, clumsy kiss. Shikamaru floundered in inexperienced surprise, but Naruto didn’t really mind.

There’d be plenty of time to practice, after all.


End file.
